House to vote on $1.85 trillion social policy package
CBO says Biden plan is not fully paid for
Democrats push a House reconciliation vote to Friday after a lengthy GOP speech. Senate Republicans run a Red Scare. And Paul Gosar gets the endorsement of Donald Trump. This is “Regular Order” for November 19, 2021.
BUILD BACK BETTER. One week after final approval of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, Democrats were poised to push a $1.85 trillion tax and social program package backed by President Biden through the House. "This bill is truly for the people," declared House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).
VOTE DELAY. After hashing out a series of technical changes - and getting a cost review from the Congressional Budget Office - Democrats were ready to vote Thursday night on the reconciliation package. But GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy had other ideas, as he spoke through the night on the House floor, forcing Democrats to hold off on a final vote.
MAGIC MINUTE. McCarthy began speaking at 8:38 pm, when he was yielded one minute for debate. By custom, House leaders can go as long as they want with that ‘magic minute.’ John Boehner spoke for over an hour in 2009. Nancy Pelosi went over 8 hours in 2018. McCarthy set the new record at 8 hours and 32 minutes.
MCCARTHY. “It will destroy countless American jobs,” the House GOP Leader said, as he attacked various provisions like the extension of the advance child tax credit payments - accusing Democrats of turning 'the child tax credit into welfare without any work requirement.'
KITCHEN SINK. The speech quickly became a grab bag of just about every Republican criticism of the Biden Administration, as McCarthy attacked Democrats over inflation and more, finally wrapping up at 5:10 am.
COST ESTIMATE. Republicans cried foul on Thursday as the final numbers came out from the Congressional Budget Office on the House reconciliation bill. The CBO 'score' showed the bill would increase the deficit by $367 billion over 10 years. In other words, it's not fully paid for, as promised by President Biden.
GOP. “Joe Biden lied,” said Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), “the BBB doesn’t cost $0. It is going to cost $367 billion!” as Republicans denounced the deficit numbers. "Stop this madness," said Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA). "Did you not pay attention to the results of the Virginia election just two weeks ago?"
DON’T FUND THE TAX POLICE. Republicans also kept up a drumbeat of attacks on provisions to add new agents for the IRS, in a bid to collect the $700 billion a year in taxes which Americans aren’t paying. Here’s a link to the new GOP talking points against that provision.
DEMOCRATS. As of early this morning, only one Democrat was ready to vote against the bill - Rep. Jared Golden of Maine. "The bill spends more on tax breaks for millionaires than on child care assistance, education, seniors, and even more than all the health care provisions combined," Golden said in explaining his concerns.
MODERATES. While other moderates shared some of those reservations, they seemed ready to vote ‘Yes,’ like Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL). "I will work with my Senate colleagues to improve this bill, and I hope to vote on - and enact - a more streamlined version of the bill once it returns from the Senate," Murphy said.
VOTE. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will get the last word in this debate before the final House vote on Friday. Democrats were confident they would have just enough votes for victory - they can’t lose more than three votes.
DEFENSE BILL. While the House was finally ready to vote on the reconciliation bill, the Senate gridlocked Thursday night over a major defense policy bill. After days of talks on what amendments to allow, various GOP Senators objected to a final deal because their issues would not be addressed on the Senate floor.
PENTAGON. Senate Democrats tried repeatedly to get unanimous consent for votes on twenty amendments, but Republicans kept objecting - leaving the bill in limbo. "There is no good reason for delaying," said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. "It's unfortunate that we cannot move forward tonight."
JET FUMES. The Senate is back in session at 10 am this morning - but it isn't clear when the Thanksgiving break will officially begin for Senators. It was supposed to start today.
COMMIE RAT. You might be forgiven if you tuned into the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, but thought you had gone back in time to a hearing held by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. “I don’t know whether to call you ‘professor’ or ‘comrade,’” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), as he pressed a witness on whether she had been a Communist.
OMAROVA. Kennedy tangled with Dr. Saule Omarova, a former Bush Administration official now nominated to be the nation's top banking regulator. "I’m not a Communist," she bluntly told Kennedy, as the Louisiana Republican asked if Omarova had joined Communist youth groups when she grew up in Kazakhstan.
RESPONSE. Democrats were outraged. “This is absolutely disgraceful,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) of Kennedy’s Q&A. “This is straight up modern day McCarthyism,” added Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said the Kennedy questions were “straight out of Joe McCarthy’s 1950’s Red Scare Tactics.”
WSJ. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal weighed in against Omarova with a searing editorial: "Don't Let Comrade Omarova Regulate the Banks." That set the table for Republicans. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) said Omarova favored a 'socialist manifesto' for U.S. banking rules.
MATRICULATED. Kennedy's line of attack was met with an avalanche of frowns. "Kind of surprised that Sen. Kennedy didn't ask if she was a thespian," tweeted political analyst Stu Rothenberg, referring to the infamous Red Scare attacks leveled by George Smathers against Claude Pepper in the 1950 U.S. Senate race in Florida.
SBA. Thursday I told you about the GOP holdup on a nominee to be the Deputy chief of the Small Business Administration - not exactly a job that's near the top of the ladder in D.C. But five times, GOP Senators have refused to show up for a committee vote, preventing action on the nomination.
SCHUMER. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer raised the issue on the Senate floor yesterday, pressing Republicans to explain why they refuse to allow Dilawar Syed to get a vote. "To date — we’ve yet to hear a single legitimate reason for their opposition," Schumer said.
SYED. Who is Dilawar Syed? He is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who was CEO of a high tech company doing work focused on reducing health care costs. He came to the U.S. from Pakistan, went to college at the University of Texas, and got his M.B.A. from Wharton.
BACKERS. Some outside groups say they know the reason why Syed is being blocked by Republicans - and it has nothing to do with his resume. Instead, it's that he is a Muslim. The American Jewish Committee says such attacks on Syed are "unamerican."
IMMIGRATION. House Republicans have asked the Biden Administration to detail to Congress how illegal immigrants are tested for the Coronavirus. "Due to your administration’s negligent and misguided border policies, it has been reported that thousands of COVID-positive illegal migrants have been released into border towns," the GOP letter stated.
TRAVEL. In the same letter, the GOP lawmakers criticized existing travel restrictions related to COVID-19, saying it is 'reckless and hypocritical' to not apply those same standards to those illegally crossing the border.
CASUALTY LIST. Another House Democrat has decided to hang up his legislative cleats. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) will not run for re-election in 2022. Unlike other departures, the lines of Butterfield's district are being redrawn in North Carolina in a way that may put it in play next November.
TAR HEEL. "Following in his father’s footsteps, Congressman Butterfield has been a lifelong advocate for civil rights," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 26 House members now won't be back after the 2022 midterms - that's split 16 Democrats to 10 Republicans.
TRUMP. A day after Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) was censured for a video threat against a House Democrat, Gosar won the very public endorsement of Donald Trump. "Paul Gosar has been a loyal supporter of our America First agenda," Trump said in a written statement.
GOSAR. “Thank you President Trump for this honor. I am humbled to have earned your support,” said Gosar. Trump made no mention of Gosar's animated video which depicted him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
PAYBACK. Meanwhile, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters that if Republicans take charge after 2022, some Democrats may lose their seats on committees - the same actions taken against Gosar and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
AOC. The target of Gosar was not impressed. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said it confirms McCarthy's ‘desire to reward neo-Nazi members of Congress who incite violence.’
CHRISTMAS TREE. If you can move past all of the political battling, the holiday season will start today at the U.S. Capitol, as this year's Capitol Christmas tree arrives from Six Rivers National Forest in California.
THE PEOPLE'S TREE. The 84-foot-tall White Fir has been slowly making its way across the country to the Capitol, pausing for various ceremonies along the way. The last stop was in Williamsport, Maryland, before the truck bearing the tree arrived at Joint Base Andrews just outside D.C.
GIFT IDEA. Are you looking for a holiday gift which won’t be stuck on a ship? Give someone you know the gift of straight news - by giving them a subscription to ‘Regular Order’ - and support independent journalism on Capitol Hill.
MUSE OF HISTORY. November 19, 1818. On this date, the second session of the 15th Congress was just a few days old, and a Congressman from Illinois was there to be sworn in as a House member. There was only one problem - Illinois was not a state as yet. The Speaker refused to administer the oath to John McLean of Illinois, and that judgment was upheld by what was described in the record as a 'large majority' of the House. McLean only had to wait two weeks. Illinois was admitted officially as a state on December 3 - McLean was sworn in the next day.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:
The House meets at 8 am.
The Senate convenes at 10 am.
President Biden’s daily schedule link.
Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree. Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com